Assionor to international



21, 1933. Y A. CLQKEY 1,898,761

STEP-BY-STEP TRANSMITTER Filed 001;. 25. 1931 imluam 2 INVENTOR ALLISON A. CLOKEY ATTORN Y Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMMUNICATIONS LABORATORIES, INC., OF NEWARK, JERSEY, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK STEP-VBY-STEIP TRANSMITTER Application filed October 23, i931. Serial No. 570,616.

This invention relates to V step-by-step transmitters and especially to automatic telegraphic and cable transmitters of the type employing a perforated tape.

It is an ob ect of-the invention tofacilitate the transmission of telegraphic signals.

Afeature of the invention resides in'tlie provision of a transmitter of the type mentioned wherein the transmitting contactsare closed for a maximum length of time to insure positive transmission of signals.

It is another feature that the pressure effecting .and maintaining the closure ofthe transmitting contacts is independent of the pressure of the pecker-rods onthetape.

It is a further feature of the invention that the biasing means which closes the contacts and the biasing means which forces the peckers against the tape each has means for adjusting its tension independently of that of the other.

Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and appended claims. f

-F or the purpose of illustrating the genus of the invention a concrete embodiment is vshown m the accompanying drawing, 1n

whichthe single figure schematically depicts the essential features.

In theembodiment illustrated, a main operating shaft is provided .for effecting rotation of a tape feed wheel 11 fixed thereon.

Aratchet wheel 12 is also fixed to shaft 10.

A feed pawl 13 co-operates with the teeth of this ratchet wheel to rotate the shaft; A cam wheel 14 is attached or coupled to the shaft or a fixed member thereon and thus rotates with the ratchet wheeL. jockey arm 15 is provided with aroller 16 which co-operates with recessed portions 17 of thecam wheel 14 normally to maintain the ratchet wheel 12in position to co-act with the feed pawl '13. r A spring l8fbiases roller 16 into engagement with the periphery of cam wheel 14; The cam wheel 14 may, if desired, be omitted and a jockey provided which would engage the periphery of ratchet wheel 12 to position the same.

I The above tape feed mechanism may be actuated through paw1'13 by any suitable intermittent operating means. Tothis end there may be provided one form of intermittent operating means comprising an electromag- ALLISON A. CLOKEY, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW. JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL net 20 having its Winding incircuit with a key 21, a rotating-commutator or interrupter 22 and a source of current supply- 23. When the key 21 is closed, the'circuit through magnet 20is completed and the latter isintermittently'operated by the commutator 22. '1 A; I link 24 connects armature 25 of magnet 20jto the feed pawl 13. Energization of magnet .20 causes movement of pawl 13. However,

the latter does not at once engage a tooth of ratchet wheel 12 but picks up a tooth after a partial throw of armature 25. Continued movement of pawl 13 rotates the ratchet wheel 12, the tape feed wheel 11 and the cam Wheel 14. The tapefeed wheel 11 is provided with'projections 29jforjengaging per-- forations in a tape 46 to cause its advance. When'the magnet 20 becomes de-energized the pawl 13 is returned by a spring 39 to a position to engage thenext tooth of wheel 12, but when sopositionedis separated from that tooth so that the latter is not actuated until the armaturehas moved a throw, as previously described.

The armature 25 constitutes one arm of a part of its bell crank lever 26 employed to control the operation of the pecker rod and contact A second arm 27 of the bell crank lever carries a latch 28 which is also mechanism.

in the form of a bell crank and has one arm 30 by a spring 31 to position a second arm 33 in the path of a co'operating hook portlon 34 on a link 35 when the magnet 20 is deenergized. This link is pivoted to an arm 36 of a'T lever 37. A spring '38 having a tension adjusting screw 40norma1ly biases another arm 42 of the T lever against a stop 41', the T lever being pivoted on a'pin 43 at the junction of the-arms of the T lever.

32 'biased'into engagement with a fixed stop g5 A third arm 44 of lever. 37 is disposed in position to cause a projection 49 thereon to is also pivoted a T member 51 which is raised or lowered as the pecker rod 47 finds a solid portion or a perforation in the tape 46. Lever 45, pecker rod 47 and T member 51 are of relatively light material in order that their inertia may be low so that a light spring 48 may be employed. In its lowered position the T member 51 is adapted to engage the arm 42 of T lever 37 and to be swung thereby to cause contact arm 52 to engage a marking contact M. When the peckerrod 47 engages a solid portion of tape 46 the T member 51 is held in its raised position and clears arm 42 so that a spring 53 swings contact arm 52 into engagement with a spacing contact S. Guide pins 54 and 55 serve to maintain link 35 and T member 51 in opera e. p sit eni I th epera ie f he e m n a rae s he. arm ture 2 Whish rms'an ar Q 't s bell trans lett r 5- Th s m t o fi s advances link 35 to the right, swinging the T lQYfiX 37 so that it raises the left end of re ting lever #5; thus b nging h pecker 7 clea Of t p Th Q Tt'i u cl mov ment oi armature causes it to pickup the "rattliet' l el d e te are ed he '11 tefed n h pe- The l t h 28. s so a j ste that, at the end O th t pe fe v. 'i klkei it senses th link permitting s r tes to w ng he T ev l" 1 s mal 'n sit t A he am me it permits the pecker rod attached to pivoted lever to seek a perforation in tape46. If the pecker 101d finds a p f atiqath T membe 51 is lowere i treat Qf arm 42 of T eve 3. so

as" th spr ng. 3. th eii h T m m e 51,

we ld impart a pt ss re on. th itaeta 52 and swing the same into engagement with the a king Contact It is n ted t at he t i e' cti s a fi d en th i sra ai s tmlze Qf e l tromagnet 20. The peckerrod remains in en men wi h. a s n e sp cin or marking contacts remain in closed position after t e d -en siz tie ei e ma t 0 and until i the :next forward stroke. I insur s a t aseentast me an pr du es sral or m l es eta maxi-mum eng h- I s. a s act that the con a t Pr ur is deter-minedsolely by springs 38 or 53 and is not dependent uponthe pressure of the pecker rod on the tape 16.

Although the step-bystep transmitter, as above described, employs but a single pecker rod; it is to beunderstood that-the transmitter is particularly designed for two or five unit cable work, which case the number of- T nembers'51, contact arms 52, contacts and pecker rods l7 rocking levers fle er efil n h '3 nd thei a sociated tensiesing s ings ld b cr as lcordingly. To this end latch 28 is made sufficiently wide to engage enough links 35 t0 era-ra e as mantle: of p k r ,re 7 squired for the particular type of code Work desired.

As many changes could be made in the above construction any many apparently different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereot, it intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the'accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a step-by-step transmitter, the combination of a tape and feeding means therefor, a pecker rod, means for normally biasingsaid pecker rod into engagement with said ape, an le agnet h v ng a reciproeate y ture, means lel d g'a atch an controlled by said armature upon the eneriza ien of a d r e rb as to'di binet fn oi a tape and feeding m ns t e fo pecker od, e s for nor ly ia ing'sai'd pecker rod into engagement with s id tap Pai f conta t ea s op rabl in accordance with the character of the engagem t 91. said pe k r d with sa d ap .i bf j l qntrollins the Op at on f said cpi tsets,

means for maintaining sai d contacts under slesing P sure in ependent of thepres's e er d on ai tape b. s id, pe k r ed, in,-

te ni tt ntly Ope ated L iY Qn'g m an ha in a recirr i at r member, m an nneeted is said member for operating said feeding means. i t mittentl 8 dvance a d tap m a s inc uding a latch on ected to said member for d engaglng ai p ker ed fr msaid t re ring it 'a a' i emovement a d mea s e rip sa l; at at he ce xchls q a h dmir movemen f he tare to enas sa d bias fig'm ns e fe t e 0 ause aid pecker rod sem to engage sa d a In a stepTbyp transm tter the 90mbin'atle Q a ap d a fe d Wh e h refer,

new whee etatahle w t a d eed wh l, a Pa k r r9d, m an,s fer n rmally b si sai ra ket r d into en agement w th said tapas Pair f antas mean perable in er aefi ith he chera te'r tt e ese ernent of s d ps ker red With saidtatl te ten t ia ing th pe a ien efsai @Qntacts,

means for X r ng closing pressure, on 0. of said contacts independent of the pressure tat d on sa d was d tape, n ele ma net having a e p qc t y armature,

means for intermittently energizing said magnet to operate said armature, means connected to said armature and engaging said ratchet wheel for rotating said feed wheel intermittently to advance said tape, means including a latch connected to said armature for disengaging said pecker rod from said tape prior to the forward movement of said tape, means for tripping said latch at the conclusion of the forward movement of said tape to render said biasing means effective to cause said pecker rod again to engage said tape, and means for maintaining said ratchet wheel in position at the conclusion of the forward movement of said tape and during the deenergization of said electromagnet.

4. In a step-by-step transmitter, the combination of a tape and a feed wheel therefor, a pecker rod, means for normally biasingsaid pecker rod into engagement with said tape, an electromagnet comprising a winding and an armature, means for energizing said winding to cause movement of said armature, means including a latch connected to said armature for disengaging said pecker rod from said tape upon the initiation of movement of said armature, means con nected to said armature for rotating said feed wheel upon continued movement of said armature and means for tripping said latch at the conclusion of the movement of said armature to render said biasing means effective to cause said pecker rod again to engage said tape.

5. An automatic transmitter comprising, in combination, a lever pivoted at one end and having a contact making portion at the other end, a first and a second contact upon the first of which said lever normally rests, a perforated tape, a pecker rod engaging said lever through a series of levers, means for biasing said pecker rod into engagement with said tape, and additional means effective upon the passage of said pecker rod through a perforation in said tape for causing said lever to engage the second contact under'a closing pressure independent both of the pressure exerted on said tape by said pecker rod and of the pressure exerted by said lever against said first contact.

6. An automatic transmitter according to claim 5, characterized in this, that means is provided for intermittently withdrawing said pecker rod from said tape, subsequently advancing said tape and finally releasing said pecker rod for engagement with said tape.

7. An automatic transmitter according to claim 5, characterized in this, that means is provided for controlling the operation of said transmitter, said means comprising an electromagnet having a bell crank armature with two arms, said armature being pivoted at the junction of its two arms, a latch on one of said arms for causing the pecker rod to be disengaged from said tape, a link on the other of said arms for subsequently causing the tape to be advanced, and additional 

